A woman who had close relationships with one of the most
clever mammals in the world spoke out about her relationships with the
dolphin in the 1960s.
Margaret
Howe Lovatt took part in an unprecedented Nasa-funded experiment on the
US Virgin Islands. She together with a neurologist, Dr John C. Lilly,
tried to teach a six-year-old dolphin, Peter, how to speak English.
Margaret
and Peter spent at least ten weeks together eating, bathing and
sleeping together in a villa which first floor was flooded with seawater
on the island of St Thomas. Although the animal did not really succeed
in language learning he developed strong and intimate relationships with
Margaret.
Both
of them lived in water and only at night the woman lifted herself onto a
hanging mattress, protected from Peter’s splashings by a shower
curtain. The woman was constantly wearing swimming costume and ate
tinned food, so the couple was fully isolated. And finally Peter did
fall in love — sexual and romantic love — with his teacher.
In the fourth week of experiment, an alarming development occurred. Margaret confided to her diary:
"Peter
has become sexually aroused several times during the week. I find that
his desires are hindering our relationship. He jams himself again and
again against my legs, circles around me, is inclined to nibble and is
generally so excited that he cannot control his attitude toward me. He
presented his tummy and genital area for stroking. Perhaps this is his
way of involving me in some form of sex play without scaring me away."
The
relationships, however, ended while funding was stopped. After a few
weeks of a separation Peter had committed suicide by refusing to
breathe, and sinking to the bottom of his tank. After Peter's death
Margaret married the project’s photographer, John Lovatt. Dr Lilly
continued his researches into communication between humans and
dolphins this time without Margaret's participation.
READ MORE: http://news.naij.com/67926.html
The Nigerian film industry never stops to spring surprises. The industry
has been criticised severally for lacking creativity, especially with
the kind of movie titles they come up with lately, unlike back in the
days when they commanded respect.
